Pulmonaria plant named ‘TNPULRASFRO’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Pulmonaria  plant characterized by leaves having a unique combination of white margins with a frosted, mottled appearance and dark raspberry colored flowers.

Botanical classification: Pulmonaria spp.

Varietal denomination: ‘TNPULRASFRO’.

Commercial trade name: “Raspberry Frost”.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct Pulmonaria plant, of the family Boraginaceae, having the varietal name ‘TNPULRASFRO’. The new variety originated as a tissue culture mutation of a Pulmonaria plant named ‘Raspberry Splash’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,138). The new variety was discovered as a spontaneous mutation in a batch of tissue culture plants in Canby, Oreg.

When compared to its parent, Pulmonaria plant named ‘Raspberry Splash’, the new variety has a smaller, more compact habit and exhibits cream variegation in an irregular fashion on the leaves. When compared to Pulmonaria rubra plant named ‘David Ward’ (unpatented), the new variety has narrower leaves of a gray-green color rather than yellow-green, more mottling on the leaves, and coral rather than dark raspberry colored flowers.

The new variety has only been reproduced by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture performed in Canby, Oreg. shows that the characteristics and distinctions described herein come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

When compared to other Pulmonaria plants known to the breeder, the new variety is characterized by the following:

-   -   1. Irregularly margined, white-edged variegation on lanceolate         leaves;     -   2. Gray-green mottled leaves with silvery overlay covering 90         percent of the leaf area; and     -   3. High vigor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographic drawings illustrate the new variety at approximately 1 year of age, with the colors being as nearly true as possible with color illustrations of this type:

FIG. 1 illustrates a close-up of view of the leaves and flowers of the new variety in Canby, Oreg. in April; and

FIG. 2 illustrates an original plant in a trial field in Canby, Oreg. in June.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new variety based on observations of 1½ year old plants grown under field conditions in Canby, Oreg. Color references are based on The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London, 5^(th) Edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.         -   Size.—35.0 cm wide and 20.0 cm tall.         -   Form.—Basal clump.         -   Vigor.—High.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and plentiful. The youngest             roots are RHS N155A and the oldest roots near the crown are             RHS 156D. -   Foliage:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Rosette.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Length.—15.0 to 28.0 cm.         -   Width.—2.75 to 3.75 cm.         -   Margin.—Entire, ciliate, irregularly undulating.         -   Apex.—Narrowly acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaf texture (both surfaces).—Setose; irregularly rugose.         -   Upper surface color.—RHS 191A, with occasional patches or             streaks of N189B. The mottled area is RHS 190C and the             margins are RHS 155B.         -   Lower surface color.—RHS 191B.         -   Venation.—Reticulate-pinnate.         -   Petiole length.—12.0 to 15.0 cm.         -   Petiole texture.—Setose.         -   Petiole color.—RHS 191B. -   Flowers:     -   -   Bud.—Length: 12.0 mm. Width: 3.0 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color:             RHS 60C.         -   Type.—Complete; perfect.         -   Inflorescence type.—Forked cymes, numbering from 9 to 17 per             plant.         -   Flower number per inflorescence.—12 to 28.         -   Bloom period.—Middle of March to early June in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness (inflorescence).—7-10 days on the plant if not             pollinated; 2-4 days off the plant or if pollinated.         -   Shape.—Campanulate.         -   Size.—7.0 to 9.0 mm from petal tip to petal tip.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: 5 fused petals with rounded lobes.             Depth: 2.0 cm. Width: 1.5 cm. Tube size: 9.0 mm long and 3.0             mm deep. Lobes: Depth: 3.0 mm. Width: 5.0 mm. Margins:             Entire. Tips: Obtuse. Texture: Satiny. Color: Inside color             of RHS 51A, the outside color is RHS 51B on the cup, RHS 60B             on the top half of the tube, and RHS NN155D on the bottom             half.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: 5 fused sepals. Size: 1.5 cm deep and             1.0 cm wide. Texture: Setose. Color: RHS 160A.         -   Sepals.—Number: 5. Length: 12.0 mm. Width: 2.5 mm across the             base, 7.0 mm at fused base. Apex: Narrowly acute. Texture:             Hispid. Color: RHS 147B.         -   Peduncle.—Height: 15.0 to 20.0 cm. Width: 3.0 mm, tapering             to 1.5 mm at apex. Texture: Setose. Color: RHS N144C.         -   Pedicel.—Length: 2.0 to 10.0 mm. Texture: Hispid. Color: RHS             200B.         -   Ovary.—Partly inferior position; 1.2 mm in diameter; RHS             146D in color.         -   Carpel number.—4.         -   Pistil.—1; pin type, exerted from the corolla tube and about             13.0 mm long.         -   Style.—Cylindrical; glabrous; 7.0 mm long and 0.5 mm wide.         -   Stigma.—Slightly rounded apex; 0.5 mm in diameter and 0.04             mm high; RHS 157A.         -   Stamen.—5 anthers in number; RHS 203B; 2.0 mm in length.         -   Anthers.—Attached to and inserted in the top of the corolla             tube; 2.2 mm long and 1.0 mm in diameter; RHS N186B.         -   Filament.—3.0 mm long; RHS 155C.         -   Pollen.—Scarce; RHS NN155A. -   Seeds:     -   -   Type.—4 smooth nutlets.         -   Size.—0.4 cm long.         -   Shape.—Ovoid.         -   Color.—RHS 200A.         -   Fertility.—Unknown. -   Pests/diseases: No unusual resistance or susceptibility noted to     date. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Pulmonaria plant named ‘TNPULRASFRO’, substantially as illustrated and described herein. 